Abducted!
by roseandjulie
Summary: YYHStargate SG1 Xover: (Yes, we are serious - and we've really made it work) KeikoKurama - Kurama gets abducted by aliens and cloned. Action, Drama, and general wackiness ensues. Collab between whirleeQ & buffybot76 - Read and Review!
1. Unnatural Selection

_**Abducted **_

A Yu Yu Hakusho/Stargate SG1 Crossover

By Rose (BuffyBot76) and Julie (whirleeQ)

Disclaimer: We do not own Yu Yu Hakusho, nor Stargate SG1. We are only borrowing the characters for our own amusement (and hopefully, yours) and are making no profit off of this. Please don't sue!

* * *

**Chapter 1: Unnatural Selection**

"In the beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move." _- Douglas Adams_

* * *

The Asgard were a dying race. 

For far too many years, they had existed by transferring their conscious minds into the bodies of clones. Over time, the quality of the clones had degraded severely, and it would not be long before their race would die out completely.

Loki's main objective was to find an alternative. It was with this objective that he began his initial testing of the Tau'ri Jack O'Neill. O'Neill had been a promising candidate, since he had possessed the Ancient gene which had allowed him for a short time to hold a massive amount of Ancient knowledge within the frontal lobe of his brain. Loki had thought there was a slight possibility that a modified clone of O'Neill would be capable of holding the vast consciousness of an Asgard. Unfortunately, the modified clone that he had created from O'Neill's DNA turned out to be flawed.

Loki considered his options carefully, as he illegally scanned the surface of the Tau'ri homeworld. While he had received a stern reprimand from the Asgard High Council for his last attempt at finding a viable source of DNA to continue his cloning experimentations, he surmised that if he were to be successful with his next attempt, they would regale him as a hero. Also, a quick calculation had shown that there would only be a 23 percent probability that they would even interfere in his current operation, since most of the Asgard High Commanders were more concerned with the ongoing threat of the Replicators than the perpetuation of their own species.

This time, however, he would stay far away from the continent which housed the venerable Jack O'Neill and his comrades; for no doubt they would raise the alarm if he were even to look in their direction a second time. So Loki focused his search on the planet's eastern hemisphere. A quick scan of the major continent showed nothing promising; however a bright spot of light appeared on his holoview when the sensor passed over a large group of highly populated islands.

Loki replaced the third stone on his control panel in order to view the system's analysis of the targeted bio-organism. The initial readings were very strange; the life form was very similar to the basic Tau'ri, except that there was an additional strand of DNA which the rogue Asgard geneticist could not immediately identify. Loki's particularly large eyes widened with curiosity, as his anticipation of examining the unusual specimen increased. Another movement of the stones on his control panel had the teleportation system online, and within seconds he had the life form in front of him.

The readings on his holoview indicated that the strange Tau'ri was in extreme distress, so he quickly erected a barrier around the specimen. Now that the Tau'ri was in his possession, he could perform a more accurate analysis. If the Tau'ri proved to be unsuitable for his designs, he would simply put the specimen in stasis and direct the computer to erase the neural pathways that held his most recent memories. It was a technique he often used when studying the Tau'ri, and one that had for the most part been successful. There were a scant few, however, that managed to regain their memories regardless, but the probability that recollection would occur was slight.

The readings he was getting on the Tau'ri were astounding, not to mention confusing. The holoview showed two distinct strands of DNA, and yet he could not find evidence of any parasitic life form on the young male Tau'ri that would account for such a result. For the first time in his very long life, the Asgard geneticist was confused with what he saw, and while he did have a hope that perhaps this highly unique Tau'ri could prove to be the answer to his race's dilemma, he did not know if his equipment could analyze the specimen accurately enough to define him. So Loki tried a tactic he did not ordinarily employ when dealing with the Tau'ri. He questioned the specimen directly.

"Greetings Tau'ri. I am Loki of the Asgard. Your genetic definition is unique amongst the Tau'ri. I am hoping that you may prove useful. What is it that sets you apart from others of your race?"

The disoriented Tau'ri looked up at the question directed at him, green eyes focusing on Loki from an exceptionally attractive face framed by flaming red hair. "What?" He began in a refined voice, but trailed off as he glanced around and actually took in his surroundings. It was a far cry from his bedroom he had only moments ago been standing in.

Realizing that something was off, the abducted red head jerked his gaze back to the creature that stood a few feet away with a growl, green eyes taking on a tinge of gold in the process. The Tau'ri, whose name on his home world was Shuichi Minamino, but to many of his close friends was known simply as Kurama, studied the figure intently, using the heightened senses that his body had been gifted with since he was born to evaluate the creature that had questioned him. He scryed for any traces of an aura to determine what sort of demon he was facing and blinked in surprise when he found no traces of demonic energy at all.

It was with a somewhat baffled expression that he answered his abductor with a question of his own. "What are you?" He then narrowed his eyes and added, "And why have you brought me here?"

Loki's ocular organs flashed briefly as he considered the hostile young Tau'ri. This one was almost as defiant as O'Neill, but at least he was more direct. Loki had long since concluded that O'Neill only made logical sense 63.2 percentof the time.

The Tau'ri's heart rate was escalating rapidly, and from experience Loki knew that this was not a good thing. After a brief analysis of the situation, he concluded that it would be best to answer the Tau'ri's question, for he did not want to put him in stasis while he was in distress.

"I am an Asgard. We are a race of beings who have long interacted with your species. Your mythology refers to us as Gods, although we are not. Instead, we are merely benevolent observers who have on occasion offered our assistance in your fight against the Goa'uld. As for your second question, the answer is somewhat complicated, I fear. But know that I mean you no harm."

Unsure if he should believe that the creature truly meant him no harm, Kurama instead remained as he was, poised to defend himself in case it was needed. "I see," He stated simply, hand brushing his hair with the slightest of gestures only to reemerge with a single red rose. "Please, don't take offense if I do not believe you right away."

Loki blinked his eyes in slight surprise at the sudden example of Tau'ri flora that appeared in the hand of the Tau'ri. He was fairly sure that the Tau'ri as a whole did not possess energy to matter conversion technology, so where did the plant come from? Did the young Tau'ri possess a transportation device of some sort? He decided to scan for one. The specimen was enveloped in a bright light as he moved the fourth stone on his control panel over two slots.

Kurama tensed as a red light shot from the console and enveloped him in its rays. On instinct, he raised the hand that held the rose. "Rose whip!" Instantly, the rose had disappeared, replaced by his signature weapon. The thorny green vine like whip snapped forward with a simple flick of Kurama's wrist, but was stopped short of its target as it encountered an invisible force that singed the whip and effectively deflected Kurama's attack.

Kurama gasped in shock as he looked at his damaged weapon. _'What was that? Some sort of invisible force field?'_ Gritting his teeth in frustration, Kurama was at a loss of what to do. He wondered, briefly, if this was what Hiei had felt like during the Dark Tournament, when he and Genkai had been trapped by Ruka.

Loki was quite intrigued by the technology that the young Tau'ri had displayed, but could find no viable source for it. "How is it that you are materializing the flora?" he asked, a bit dismayed that he needed to question the lower life form directly in order to solve the puzzle he presented.

It was during this that the fox spirit that also inhabited the red head's body emerged within Kurama's mind. **_Shuichi, what is your problem? Your heart is racing and your anxiety is disturbing my sleep!_** Youko grumbled from within. Looking out from his human host's eyes, the kitsune immediately understood his counterpart's concern as he took in the appearance of the creature before him. **_And do you mind explaining who the hell this is and why we are not where we are supposed to be?_**

Sighing inwardly, the human half answered, _'The creature you see before us calls himself Loki, and it appears that we have been abducted, Youko. If I am correct, then I believe what you are witnessing is indeed an alien.'_

**_Interesting. Youkai I know, ningens I know, since I'm sharing your head, but aliens? Something new? What kind of an alien is he?_**

_'He called himself an Asgard.'_ Shuichi replied.

**_An Asgard? _**Youko inquired, and Shuichi felt a small but noticeable perk in the kitsune's aura.**_ What else can you find out, or should I take over? _**Youko asked, his interest had indeed been piqued and knew he more than likely would be taking over anyway. His human counterpart seemed shook up over this whole experience, more so than Youko had ever seen him before.

A mental nod had Youko surging to the front, making sure not to transform and thus tip their hand, so to speak, although there was a noticeable change in eye color as the vibrant green gave way to a glowing amber gaze.

Youko looked at the stranger in front of him with purpose. There was a familiarity in the way the creature looked, humanoid but with striking differences. Wizened was the only word that came to mind when he looked at the strange being in front of him. Youko had an idea of what he was speaking to, but held onto the façade by asking, "So, would you mind explaining to me exactly what the Asgard are?"

Loki immediately went on alert when he saw the Tau'ri's eyes flash gold. The only species he knew of with that distinctive ocular characteristic was the Goa'uld. His suspicions grew as he glanced over at the holoview. A remarkable deceleration had occurred in the Tau'ri's heart rate. Now, it appeared to be steady and normal.

Loki looked at the Tau'ri somewhat quizzically.

The Tau'ri had also asked him to explain himself, once again. Could it be that he was dealing with a genetically altered Goa'uld?

Once again, Loki decided to confront him about it. Not that he had gotten anywhere by doing so thus far, but if the Tau'ri continued to be elusive, he would just put him in stasis and do a definitive genetic analysis. That option was becoming more and more appealing anyway, as the puzzle the young Tau'ri presented increased exponentially with each new development.

He ran another quick scan on the Tau'ri, and his eyes widened when the Tau'ri made an animalistic sound in response.

The results of his new scan showed a distinct change in the neural pathway's of the Tau'ri's brain, in both the memory and personality sector. Another indication that the subject in front of him may be of Goa'uld origin.

"It appears that your DNA is combined with another life form. The only species that I am aware of that has the capability to combine with a Tau'ri is the Goa'uld," he accused, curious to see how the subject would respond.

Youko was, to say the least, startled. Goa'uld and Asgard. Why did these names strike a chord within him? He knew the key lay somewhere in the deep recesses of his memory, but for now, the answer was elusive to the ancient fox spirit. He thought about changing, however he did not want to give that away, yet. "If you think that I am of the Goa'uld, you are mistaken." He stated simply, defiantly.

The Asgard's chest cavity rose and fell in what could be considered a sigh, as he looked at the Tau'ri in exasperation. He was at least able to ascertain that the life form standing before him was not a Goa'uld to his knowledge. Further inquiry seemed pointless in the face of the Tau'ri's hostility.

"Your defiance is counterproductive to my research. I will have to put you in stasis in order to continue. Please do not be afraid."

Youko's eyes narrowed at the foreign word and, sensing his human half tense at its mention, groaned inwardly as he once again had to turn to his human half for answers.

**_What is this stasis he speaks of, Shuichi?_**

_"It's a scientific word... Basically, this person thinks we are lab subjects, and plans to freeze our brain waves, until such time as he sees fit to release us. During stasis, one can obtain data and research a subject without the subject having been aware of anything later."_ Shuichi replied, his inner voice displaying his worry.

**_So what you're saying is, we get dissected, and he gives us back our consciousness, and we trot off unaware that anything happened._**

_"Or, he may not give us back our memories at all." _

Youko's outward response to this was to narrow his eyes even further, the growl that had been building within his chest was released a second after as he glared at his captor. But growl at his captor was all that he had time to do before another strange light once again enveloped him, and Youko knew no more.

Loki wasted no time in first transporting the Tau'ri to his ship's laboratory and then himself.

Now that the subject was in stasis, he was able to obtain blood and tissue samples without causing the subject undue distress. It was not his goal after all. In fact, once he was done with his analysis, he would be sure to remove any memories of their encounter.

He placed the samples into the computer and waited the necessary 3.46 nanoseconds for the results. When he got them, he blinked in momentary surprise. Loki was beginning to think that his equipment might be defective. There was no sign of any Goa'uld DNA, but what the computer did find was even more puzzling.

How was it was even possible that this Tau'ri had both human and Furling DNA?

Further analysis was going to be necessary.

Unfortunately, the Tau'ri had already been gone a fair amount of time. His absence would be missed.

He was going to have to use a clone; there was no other alternative if he wished to retain the Tau'ri for further study.

Loki placed the bio samples in the entry port of the replication chamber, and waited. About 20 minutes later, he had an exact copy of the Tau'ri before him. He was pleased to note that there were no size or age discrepancies this time around - he did not need a repeat of the O'Neill incident should the Tau'ri's companions notice a difference. But just in case, he planned on monitoring the clone's interactions with others. In the specifications for the clone, Loki had designed a monitoring device for both the ocular and cochlear organs. Undetectable at the Tau'ri's current level of technology, the devices would serve to transmit what the clone heard and saw to his ship's holoview on request. Another device was replicated at the base of the clone's cerebral cortex so that Loki could also monitor the clone's life signs from orbit.

Transferring the memories from his specimen over to the clone turned out to be somewhat tricky, but he managed to do so up until the point of the abduction. He was slightly concerned with the 7.62 percent loss of information, but since he had no intention of holding the original Tau'ri for more than a day lest his ship be detected, he disregarded the discrepancy for the sake of his research.

Another movement of the stones on his control panel, and the clone was enveloped in a bright light and transported back to the specimen's original location.

Loki checked the holoview to ensure that the transport was successful. A vision of the Tau'ri's habitat appeared before him. Satisfied, Loki turned off the holoview and returned his attention to the fascinating Tau'ri in his possession.

* * *

Down below on the planet, a red head stood in the middle of his bedroom with a bewildered look on his face. He looked around, wondering why he felt this way, but eventually shook it off and began dressing for school. A quick glance at the clock, however, had him hastening his actions. He was already TWO hours late! What the hell! The last time he'd looked, he was almost certain that he'd gotten up a bit early. 

Pushing the anomaly to the back of his mind, Kurama finished dressing in his uniform, grabbed his books and quickly dashed out the door.

* * *

_End Chapter 1_


	2. By Any Other Name

**Chapter 2: By Any Other Name**

"If it looks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, we have at least to consider the possibility that we have a small aquatic bird of the family anatidae on our hands." _– Douglas Adams_

* * *

Keiko walked out onto the roof top of the high school, her now long, brunette hair immediately whipping about her face as she searched the area for the person she was looking for. She knew he would be there, despite the fact that he did not attend the school.

"Yusuke?" She called as she walked further out onto the hot asphalt roof.

"Yo! Keiko!" The voice of Yusuke Urameshi came from above her, much as it normally had when a similar scenario had played itself out on the rooftop of Sarayashiki Junior High. "What's up? Isn't school about to start? You're gonna miss finals if you don't hurry up."

Keiko looked upward, smiling at the young man, er, toushin perched upon the higher structure above the door leading to the roof. It had been a few months now since he had returned the final time from the Makai. They had spent the time together in the pretense of planning their wedding after her graduation. But alas, it was not meant to be as they gradually came to the realization that things had changed between them during Yusuke's absence. They had grown apart and Keiko, though she hadn't proclaimed it verbally, had begun to feel drawn toward another.

The tall, dark-haired toushin looked at his best friend and former girlfriend through a pair of amused dark brown eyes, as he snickered to himself. Having to nag Keiko about being late for class was, for him, the ultimate irony. It hadn't been that long since the roles had been reversed, after all. Still, he wondered what had his studious little friend so distracted. His grin widened with mischief when he thought about it.

After all, far be it from him to pass up a great opportunity to tease her.

"So, Keiko… Who's the lucky guy?"

Taken off guard, Keiko hesitated a telling second before replying with an unconvincing, "N-n-nobody. There's nobody."

Yusuke's smile widened even further when he realized he had hit the nail right on the head.

"Uh-huh. And I'm in love with Kuwabara. C'mon, Keiko. I know you too well. Fess up."

Keiko flushed brightly, not able to believe Yusuke of all people had read her so easily. "Oh… well… you see," She shifted nervously, looking down at her feet, unable to look him in the eye. "It's nothing. Really. I just like someone, but I'm sure he doesn't like me, so… can we just drop this already, Yusuke?"

"Riiight. C'mon Keiko, you've known me for what? Ever? Do you really think I'm going to let it go at that? There isn't a single straight red-blooded male that wouldn't be into you. So tell me who it is. Besides, I have to make sure that whoever you have your eyes on is good 'nuff for you, after all. You may not be my girl anymore, but there ain't no way I'm going to let you hook up with a loser," he said, as Keiko started to blush.

Figuring it was useless to keep it secret, and besides, it was a hopeless cause anyway, Keiko gave another nervous twitch before revealing her crush. "I-it's… It's Kurama, alright. Are you happy now?" Thoroughly embarrassed, Keiko turned away, crossing her arms protectively across her chest.

Yusuke almost fell off the roof in shock. But, after thinking about it a moment, he realized it made sense. The two of them did have a lot of stuff in common, after all. They were both big on school and solving problems with their minds, and all that. Yusuke himself preferred to solve them with his fists.

Actually, the more he thought about it, the more he realized they'd make a good pair. And he wasn't so sure that the red haired kitsune didn't have similar feelings for Keiko. He'd seen him look her way more than once, but until recently Keiko had always been his girl, and Kurama was just not the type to put the moves on someone who was already in a relationship. But now that they were no longer a pair, perhaps it could work out for his two good friends.

He thought about telling her to go for it, but not without first teasing her a bit more. Keiko was just so damned fun when she was huffing and indignant.

"Kurama? Oh, geez, Keiko… please don't tell me you've up and joined his fan club, or something like that," he eventually said with a cocky grin and a roll of his eyes.

Keiko's gaze shot back to Yusuke with such a defiant heat present that Yusuke could have gone up in flames. "No, I have not! For your information, I happen to like Kurama for more than just his looks. He's kind and a gentleman and I don't see how this is funny in the least, Yusuke Urameshi!" Keiko's rant gained momentum when she noticed Yusuke attempting, unsuccessfully, to stifle a snicker.

"Alright, alright already! Geez, don't get your panties all twisted, Keiko – I was just having a little fun! But, seriously, you should go for it. I don't think he's as out of your reach as you think, Keiko. In fact, I've been tempted a couple of times in the past to deck him for some of the looks he's given you," Yusuke said with a completely straight face.

Keiko's face visibly showed the switch from anger to surprise. "R-r-really?" She asked dubiously. "He's looked at me? How?"

_'What is it with chicks?'_ Yusuke thought to himself, exasperated. _'Didn't I already spell it out for her? Damn, of all the things I never thought I'd be doing, playing cupid for Keiko and Kurama was just about at the top of the list. Kurama, you owe me one, buddy. The things I do for my friends.'_

"He digs you, okay? Look, Keiko. Go to his house after school, and do that ear thing that you do. He'll be putty in your lap in no time. Just leave me out of it. And don't you have finals to take?"

"Yusuke!" Keiko shrieked in mortified shock, unable to believe Yusuke had suggested she do _that_ to Kurama. The next instant she was glancing down at her watch, her eyes growing wide in horror. "Oh, no! I'm going to be late! I've gotta go, bye Yusuke!" And without waiting for a reply, Keiko dashed for the exit.

"Later, Keiko," Yusuke said, eyes alight with amusement. As he watched the panicked girl nearly fall over herself in her haste to get back inside the building, he snickered to himself.

"Poor Kurama. He won't know what hit him."

* * *

Kurama's day had not been going well, and was only getting worse.

The normally punctual red head had been two hours late to school. That alone would not have been so bad, if it had not earned him the attentions of his so called fan-club members who had haunted him through out most of his school career.

"Oh, Shuichi! Is everything okay? We were so very worried about you when you didn't show up on time!"

"If you're having trouble making it to class, I can pick you up Shuichi!"

"NO! You don't want to go with her, she's a tramp! _I'll_ pick you up Shuichi!"

So Kurama had spent a good part of his study period hiding from his stalkerish admirers in the boy's rest room. To make matters worse, Kurama found that he couldn't exactly concentrate very well, and the last period of the day happened to be his calculus final.

The honor student wasn't even confident that he'd done well enough to earn a 'B', let alone ace it like he should have.

So when the bell rang indicating the end of the school day, Kurama was highly relieved.

His kitsune counterpart, who would normally take delight in harassing him about the sheer bad luck he had been having, was strangely silent. It was not reassuring, and Kurama found that he missed his other half's teasing banter. He tried to probe for Youko mentally, but the spirit fox did not respond.

Kurama was so lost in his thoughts, that he did not pay attention to where he was walking. Instead of making his way home, he found himself in the park often frequented by his half-koorime friend. He blinked his eyes, once again startled at his uncharacteristic absentmindedness. After a moment of disorientation, an all too familiar voice resonated in his mind.

_Something amiss, fox?_

The diminutive fire apparition suddenly appeared by his side, and shot him a look that most would misinterpret as disaffected, but Kurama knew him well enough to know that it was one of concern.

_'I am fine, Hiei. Nothing you should trouble yourself with at any rate.'_ He responded mentally.

_Hn. If you say so fox._ Hiei answered somewhat disbelievingly. He walked along side the red head in silence for a while, and while he did not say anything more, Hiei was studying his friend intensely.

Kurama couldn't help but feel oddly irritated by the feel of the fire demon's eyes on him, _'Was there something that you wanted?_' Kurama finally asked.

Hiei, for his part, was taken aback by Kurama's sudden hostility. Something was definitely off about the fox. His friend was not one to be so easily provoked. In fact, Hiei could not think of a single thing that he may have done to provoke him anyway. Could he be going into heat? He could not detect any additional pheromones coming from the fox, but it would definitely explain Kurama's wildly fluctuating emotional state.

The fox was glaring at him.

_Hn. You are the one who came here, Kurama._ he finally answered, as he watched his friend to gauge his response.

His reaction was not one that Hiei would have expected. Kurama's eyes widened marginally as he actually stopped dead in his tracks and looked around at his surroundings, as if realizing for the first time exactly where he was. _'I...' _He began, only to trail off and begin walking again, this time in the direction of his house.

Hiei blinked. Not only was Kurama irritable, he was also very distracted. Hiei was beginning to get concerned. Kurama was one of the very few he considered a friend, and he had never before seen the normally self-assured red head act in this manner.

Was he ill? The thought unnerved Hiei, and he abruptly spun on his heel and caught up with him.

Kurama shot him a look, but otherwise didn't acknowledge him.

Something was definitely amiss. Hiei's hand hovered over the bandana covering his jagan eye. If the fox was not going to be upfront with him, well, then he would just have to find out what was wrong with him on his own.

The sudden movement of the red head's arm would have been undetected by the normal human eye, but Hiei caught it easily as it shot up from Kurama's side, his long slender fingers wrapping tightly around Hiei's own raised arm, stilling his hand only inches from his bandana. "Don't." Kurama spoke his warning aloud, giving only the barest glance in Hiei's direction. "I would prefer it very much if you did not do that, Hiei."

Kurama abruptly picked up his pace, and continued to walk in the direction of his home, without even a backwards glance or good bye to his long time companion.

Hiei watched his friend walk away with narrowed eyes. "Baka fox," he muttered under his breath. He shook his head minutely, before turning back towards the park. He'd give Kurama the benefit of the doubt for now, but if he doesn't pull it together soon, Hiei would use the eye regardless.

* * *

Keiko sighed and glanced at her watch. It was already an hour and a half since school had let out and here she was, sitting on the doorstep of Kurama's house. She had pondered what Yusuke had told her that morning all day long and by that evening she had convinced herself that she would go and confess how she felt to Kurama and bear the consequences of his reaction, whatever they may be.

She was fully prepared for him to turn her down flat, which she mostly expected would happen despite what Yusuke had told her. She just couldn't see what someone like the great 'Shuichi Minamino' not to mention the infamous youkai bandit Youko Kurama would see in a nobody such as herself. She had no spirit awareness, or special abilities to speak of and Keiko saw that as a handicap, seeing as she was unable to protect herself from getting kidnapped every time she turned around by demons wanting to get back at Yusuke. They just kept coming for her, never mind the fact that she and Yusuke were not together like that anymore, or that he wasn't the spirit detective for Reikai (even though Koenma did call upon him and the rest of the team from time to time for specific reasons).

The main point was, she just couldn't see herself as someone that Kurama would be interested in, especially since the red head barely showed interest in the opposite sex at all. Was he even straight? After all, he and Hiei had spent an awful lot of time together during the fire demon's confinement to the Ningenkai. Shaking her head, Keiko glanced at her watch again. Another 10 minutes had passed and no sign of Kurama.

_'Guess this whole idea was a bust.'_ She thought, standing up and brushing off the backside of her uniform skirt. She grimaced as the indecently short material swayed with the action.

She reached down to gather her satchel so that she could leave and glanced up as a flash of red caught her eye. A smile spread across her lips when she spotted Kurama approaching the house looking somewhat distracted. Straightening back up, she greeted Kurama with as much cheer as she could muster, despite the sudden nervousness that was beginning to overtake her.

"Good evening, Kurama-san!"

Kurama was both surprised and relieved to find Keiko standing on his door step. After the day that he had had, he was grateful that the one person who both he and Youko had secretly desired was there to see him. He didn't even question why she was there as he quickened his pace and pulled her into a bone crushing hug.

"Keiko," he whispered breathlessly against her ear. "You have no idea how glad I am to see you."

A small part of his brain whispered that he was acting very out of character, but he firmly ignored it as he placed a soft kiss on Keiko's cheek.

Keiko's gasp of surprise when Kurama swept her into his arms was muffled by the cloth of his shirt as her face was inadvertently pressed into his shoulder. Her eyes widened and she froze in shock when she heard his whispered words and felt the soft press of his lips to her cheek. Kurama had just kissed her? And… he was glad to see her? Why? What had come over Kurama, someone who, though a friend, had always seemed so distant and untouchable, to make him act so… familiar with her. There were so many questions rolling around in her head that she was beginning to get a headache.

"K-Kurama?" Keiko asked in an unsure voice.

Kurama was lost in the feel of Keiko's soft body pressed against his, and it didn't immediately register that she had spoken. But after a moment, he drew back and looked at the pretty brunette before him. She looked very confused, and for the first time he realized just how he had acted.

"Er… gomen Keiko. If I made you uncomfortable, that was not my intent. Today has not been a good day for me, and I was just very happy to see a friendly face," he said sheepishly, as he tried desperately to repress the blush that he was starting to feel.

Despite his embarrassment, a part of him really wanted to sweep her back into his arms. It had felt so very good to hold her like that.

"So, what brings you here, Keiko?" he eventually asked, in a desperate attempt to regain some level of normalcy.

Keiko blinked in confusion at the sudden turnabout. Kurama definitely wasn't acting himself today and she began to doubt her choice of coming clean with him about her feelings. Instead, she said, "Oh, I just came to say hi since I didn't have anything else to do." _'Way to go, Keiko, good cover!'_ An inner voice mocked her. Remembering he mentioned that his day hadn't gone well, she pounced on the chance to chance topics. "So, your day didn't go well? Do you want to talk about it? Maybe it'd help."

The red head who firmly believed he was who he claimed to be had no intention of sharing his concerns with Keiko, of all people. He had planned to approach Yusuke and ask him if it would be alright to court her, after all. He did not need for her to think he had lost it, as he was beginning to think so himself.

He came to the conclusion that the only way to handle this was to avoid the question.

"It was nothing, really. Don't worry about it. Would you like to come inside? I can make us some tea, and I know that my mother has a nice blueberry pie in the refrigerator."

_'Well, that was lame Kurama. Really, really lame,'_ he added mentally, as he offered Keiko his best disarming smile.

Keiko briefly wondered why Kurama didn't want to tell her about his day. It sort of hurt that he didn't trust her enough to confide in her, but she really couldn't blame him seeing as it wasn't her place to comfort him to begin with_. 'Then why did he hug me when he first walked up?'_ She wondered. "O-okay..." Keiko finally replied a bit hesitantly.

Instantly, his smile brightened as he fumbled with his keys. It took him two tries to find the right key for the door, and although Keiko was looking at him with some concern, she didn't comment on it. Kurama for his part just put it down as nerves.

Within a short time, he had Keiko sitting at the kitchen table behind a large slice of pie, while he rifled through the cabinets looking for the tea cups.

"I know that they are here somewhere," he muttered offhandedly as he opened the fourth set of cabinet doors looking for them. "Aha! There they are. Mother must have moved them," he exclaimed in triumph when he finally managed to locate the elusive tea cups. As he handed Keiko hers, his hand brushed against hers briefly in a soft caress. He stared deeply into her large cinnamon eyes for a moment until he remembered what he was supposed to be doing.

He cleared his throat and shook his head minutely, in a desperate attempt to clear it. With a wide and almost entirely false smile, he served Keiko, and then himself, being especially careful not to spill anything on either of them since his nerves were completely frayed.

"Would you like any… sugar?" he asked, and then immediately blushed at his tone. It sounded throaty and lustful even to his discerning ears. Keiko was probably going to run screaming out the door any minute now.

The longer Keiko stayed in Kurama's presence the more she began to grow worried for her friend. He most definitely was not acting normally and she wondered if he were ill. Then their hands brushed and Keiko's mind went blank as a shiver passed through her. She tried to shake it off, but then he spoke and the tone he used ignited a flare of liquid heat in her veins, and her heart began to race.

"Umm... yes, please." Keiko managed to say through the tightening of her throat and blushed when it made her words come out in a squeaky voice.

Kurama's eyes lidded and he gave her a smile that was pure Youko as he slowly and very seductively leaned over her with the sugar bowl in his right hand and a tea spoon in his left.

"One scoop… or two?" he asked her with a wink.

Keiko's eyes widened slightly at the possible underlying meaning behind his words and actions. Suddenly feeling the need to put distance between herself and the temptation that was growing more and more, well, tempting by the minute, Keiko shot up from her chair. "Um… ah, may I use your bathroom, Kurama-san?" She asked, flustered.

_'Kurama-san?' _

The red head was puzzled by Keiko's sudden and formal use of his name, and he realized with a start that he had been coming on to her rather… strongly. He wanted to blame it on Youko, but once again the kitsune was strangely silent inside his head.

_'By Inari, what is wrong with me today?' _he questioned himself, as his brilliant green eyes blinked several times in confusion.

Realizing he had yet to answer Keiko, who was getting more and more flustered by the second, he cleared his throat, and with his hand, indicated the direction of the bathroom.

"Of course,"he mumbled, his voice thankfully taking on its normal hint of arrogance as he backed away a few steps.

"Thank you," Keiko mumbled and rather hastily made a retreat to the bathroom.

She shut the door behind her and leaned against it as she fought to keep her heart from pounding in her chest. After a moment, she pushed away from the door and turned toward the sink, turning on the water and adjusting it to a lukewarm temperature. Placing her hands beneath the running water, Keiko proceeded to splash her face lightly, hoping to gather her thoughts that were at the moment reeling in her mind.

* * *

At an altitude of approximately 400 kilometers above the Earth, an Asgard ship was in a stationary orbit over the western pacific. On board, a rogue Asgard geneticist was studying with exceptionally large ocular organs a puzzling and not theoretically possible Tau'ri-Furling hybrid.

Loki was highly intrigued by his find, but he had yet to make significant headway in his research. Had he obtained the specimen under more legal circumstances, he would not have hesitated to contact the Asgard High Council once the Furling DNA became apparent.

It was the first solid example the Asgard had seen in many thousands of years that the former member race of the Council of Worlds still existed. The Furlings were a volatile and highly varied race of intelligent beings that once were in an alliance with the Asgard, but had all but disappeared soon after the Goa'uld became the predominant military force in the galaxy. History described them as a technologically advanced race of beings with some unique skills inherent to their species, including that of matter manipulation and self-transmogrification.

There were also none superior to the Furlings when it came to trans-dimensional travel. In fact, it was often theorized by Asgard scientists that the Furlings had quarantined themselves in another dimension, in order to maintain control over an experiment gone awry.

For the higher-level Furlings had attempted to create a 'warrior race' based off of their own DNA. Unfortunately, the soulless creatures turned on their creators, and the once highly advanced race of galactic travelers had regressed to the point where they were now a feudal society, constantly at war with themselves.

That was the going theory at any rate, and Loki dearly wished to question the young Tau'ri who had already shown some Furling skills with his manifestation of flora, but he doubted the Tau'ri would be receptive to him at this point.

Therefore, he had turned to the holoview to observe the clone's interactions with other Tau'ri's over the day. Perhaps if he could find and clone a Tau'ri that was special to the hybrid, he could program the new clone with the directive to obtain the information that Loki needed.

Unfortunately, the clone did not appear to have many positive social interactions over the course of the day. There was one puzzling incident with another, smaller Tau'ri, where there appeared to be some social interaction, but as the cochlear implants did not transmit any conversation for Loki to analyze, he decided against using the diminutive Tau'ri as his genetic blueprint.

He had all but given up hope on finding a suitable subject, until he analyzed the clone's reaction to a young, female Tau'ri that was even now in the company of the clone. In her presence, the clone's heart rate had significantly increased as well as the level of chemical psychostimulants in the clone's circulatory system. Another quick analysis of the clone's central nervous system showed that the arousal systems in the clone's cerebral cortex were engaged at dangerously high levels.

So Loki had waited until a time when the female Tau'ri was no longer in the path of the clone's ocular implants, and targeted her in the crosshairs of his transportation device.

400 kilometers below in a small house in Tokyo, the young Tau'ri was splashing water on her face when she was instantly surrounded by a bright white light. In mere moments she was transported directly into an empty stasis chamber on Loki's ship.

Keiko, who barely had time to comprehend what was happening, found herself in the bathroom of Kurama's house one minute and in some sort of strange room the next. Taking a look around, the first thing she spied was a gray, odd looking creature that she instantly mistook for a demon, staring at her.

_'Oh, no, not again!'_ She moaned to herself, instinctively thinking that she had once again been kidnapped due to her association with Yusuke. If she only knew how wrong she was. Before she had a chance to say a word, another bright light engulfed her and she knew no more.

Loki needed to act quickly, for he did not intend to keep this particular Tau'ri for study. He just needed a blood and tissue sample, as well as an imprint of her neurological pathways.

It took approximately 10 minutes for him to gain what he needed, and he directed his computer to erase the last 12.23 minutes of the Tau'ri's memory. Once satisfied, he transported the Tau'ri back to her original location on Earth.

* * *

A burst of white light illuminated the bathroom of the Hatenaka residence before quickly fading away, leaving a slightly disoriented and totally unnerved Keiko Yukimura behind. Glancing up at the sound of a knock on the door, Keiko found herself facing it and blinked in surprise. Quickly shaking it off, she tried to keep her voice even as she called out. "Yes?"

"Keiko? Is everything alright?" Kurama's concerned voice came from the other side of the door.

"I'm fine, Kurama. Fine. I'll be out in a minute."

Outside the door, the red head turned away in confusion. Had he really spooked Keiko that much? She'd been holed up in the bathroom nearly fifteen minutes after all. He knew she was avoiding him – holing up in a bathroom was his standard avoidance tactic with his own fan girls. He shook his head in sad regret as he made his way back towards the kitchen.

* * *

In the laboratory of the Asgard ship, the newly created Keiko clone blinked her eyes several times, as her creator left her alone with the Tau'ri-Furling hybrid currently in stasis.

She was programmed with the basic personality of the true Keiko Yukimura, and unlike the Kurama clone, she knew exactly what she was and her purpose for existing. She also had been programmed with a rudimentary understanding of the ship's primary systems and technology.

Unfortunately, there was no room for Keiko Yukimura's memories, and had Loki known the knowledge that the girl already had regarding the hybrid's origins, he could have saved himself a lot of trouble.

The Keiko-clone approached the stasis chamber containing the hybrid with a smile, and a few simple manipulations of the stones on the chambers control panel had the hybrid awake and blinking.

She stared at him curiously for a moment before offering him a great big smile.

"Hello. My name is Keiko. Would you like something to drink? Being in stasis can sometimes cause severe dehydration."

Kurama blinked a few times, attempting to overcome the grogginess that clouded his mind. He grimaced as he realized that his mouth was as dry as an oasis and licked his lips, attempting to compensate for the lack of saliva.

**_Ugh, what the hell happened, Shuichi? _**

_'I do not know, Youko. I am just as confused as you are.'_

A voice speaking to him suddenly had him snapping to attention and he looked up, his eyes widening as his gaze fell upon a familiar form.

"Keiko?"

"Yes, that is my name. Let me get you some water," she said, as she walked over to the replication device in the room. She spoke a few words in the Asgard native tongue, and offered the small glass that had suddenly appeared in the replication chamber to the hybrid, who was slowly but surely awakening.

Though still not at one hundred percent, Kurama knew for certain that things were amiss. For one, Keiko had just spoken some strange language that he had never even heard before, at least, not in all his years as a human. He watched as Keiko, or someone who looked like her, approach with a glass of clear liquid.

Hesitantly taking the glass, he murmured a quiet "Thank you." before taking a tentative sip to ensure that it was, in fact, drinkable.

"You're very welcome. I have to say that it is an honor to meet you. I've been programmed with some historical facts about the Furlings, and you really are a fascinating species. What is your name, by the way?" The Keiko clone asked, her large cinnamon eyes sparkling in anticipation.

Kurama's brows creased in confusion at the strange word, but was taken by surprise when Youko actually perked up at the title. **_Furling? Now where have I heard that before?_**

_'I wouldn't know, Youko, you seem to know more than I at this point.'_ Shuichi replied, sounding a bit miffed.

**_Heh, well, that's a change for the good, if you ask me._** Youko replied smugly before asking, **_But what about this... thing? It is obviously not Keiko. She would know our name._**

_'Indeed,'_ Shuichi replied, _'The fact that she does not recognize me leads me to believe that she is either, a) the real Keiko and this Loki has done something to alter her memory, or b) a copy of the original.' _Taking a tentative sniff, he added, _'A well crafted copy at that. She even smells like Keiko.'_

"Hey! I asked you a question, you know. It's kind of rude to just ignore me. The least you can do is introduce yourself," the Keiko clone said rather indignantly, as she pursed her lips and put her hands on her hips.

"I am sorry, Keiko. My name is Kurama." He replied, giving his real name in hopes of jogging her memory in case it really was the real Keiko he was speaking to.

Instantly, the pretty brunette's attitude morphed from agitated to pleased in about the same amount of time that the real Keiko's personality would have shifted, further confusing the spirit kitsune.

"See? That wasn't so hard, was it?" She said with a smile. As the hybrid in front of her warmed to her personality, one of her programmed directives kicked in. She approached Kurama slowly and sensually and batted her eyes.

"Is there anything I can do to make you more comfortable?" The Keiko clone asked in a throaty voice.

Kurama's eyes widened at her words, unsure if there was a hidden meaning behind them or not. "Ah, no. I'm fine, although I would appreciate it if I could speak to Loki."

The Keiko clone walked up to him and put a soft hand on his arm. She rubbed her thumb back and forth in a seductive motion, as she answered his question.

"I'm afraid that Loki is currently in a regeneration chamber. Asgard's really don't have a very high constitution, you see. But I've been instructed to assist you… with anything that you need assistance with."

Kurama felt his body beginning to react to Keiko's words, as innocently spoken as they were, he couldn't help but get a secret thrill from it, even with the knowledge that this might not even be the real Keiko. His attraction to her made all of it a moot point. He heard Youko in the back of his mind, egging him on. **_Tell her to come closer, Shuichi. I have something that she can assist me with._**

_'Youko!'_ Shuichi's sharp retort reined the kitsune in and he turned his attention back to the clone. "I don't believe I need anything at the moment, thank you. However, seeing as you appear knowledgeable of our surroundings, perhaps you could supply me with a few explanations?"

It was as if he pressed a virtual 'seduction mode: off' switch on the Keiko clone with his words. Her hand was quickly removed from his arm, and she backed up a few steps. Even the tone of her voice had changed from sultry to formal, as she answered him.

"I am not allowed to provide you with information that could possibly cause myself or Loki any harm. I can, however, tell you that you are on an Asgard vessel, some 400 kilometers above Earth. We are cloaked, so hopefully we won't be detected by any of the Tau'ri satellites or space ships, but I do know how to engage the hyperdrive if the sensors go off, so you don't have to worry about that!" Keiko answered, and Kurama reeled at the inadvertent information she let slip.

_'We have space ships?' _Shuichi marveled to himself.

As if a lightbulb went off in his head, Youko suddenly perked up as memories began to make themselves known. Memories of tales heard long ago when he was still a kit and the fox reached out to his host mentally. **_Uh... Shuichi? I think I may have an idea of what's going on here..._**

_'Fill me in as we go, Youko. Right now, I think I have an idea on how to get us some help.' _Shuichi responded, as he began to formulate a plan in his mind. If we have space ships that could detect us if the cloaking system is offline, then…

"I really would be interested in seeing how this cloaking system works, Keiko." Kurama asked with a smile as he grabbed the Keiko clone's hand with his own.

The Keiko clone knew that she probably should deny that request, but as she was crafted and modeled after the original Keiko Yukimura, she was not immune to Kurama's charms. When the hybrid grabbed her hand, her breathing quickened and her heart started to race.

So the clone justified her response to Kurama as being part of her prime objective. After all, wasn't she supposed to get him to trust her enough to speak of the fate of the Furlings? And besides, what harm could it do to show him the cloaking system?

She offered Kurama a small smile.

"Hai. Follow me."

* * *

_End Chapter 2_


	3. Heroes and Demons

**Chapter 3: Heroes and Demons**

A/N: We would like to assure you in advance that no actual coffeehouses were demolished during the writing of this fic. Also, we don't own Starbucks; if we did, do you think we'd be writing this stuff?

"Nothing travels faster than the speed of light with the possible exception of bad news, which obeys its own special laws" – _Douglas Adams_

* * *

There was nothing to do.

Well, there was always the mission reports the SG teams had piled upon his desk, as well as the review for Airman Jeffery Miller that had been sitting upon his desk for well over two months now, but…

There was nothing to _do_.

He could always take off the rest of the day, and go fishing. After all, he was the boss now, right?

Jack O'Neill sighed, and moved his brass nameplate from one corner of his desk to the other.

Brigadier General Jack O'Neill.

It looked better where he first had it.

"Sir?"

Jack blinked once, twice before pushing his chair away from his desk and raising his eyes in an expression of total boredom to the pretty, blue eyed Air Force Lieutenant Colonel that burst into his office with way too much energy. She was holding a manila folder tightly to her chest.

"Carter?"

"Sir, I think we have a situation."

Those were not words he wanted to hear from Lieutenant Colonel Samantha Carter especially when she came barging into his office with a manila folder. In fact, the last time the words "Sir, I think we have a situation" came out of her mouth with a folder in her hands, Anubis was enroute with half his armada to attack the Earth. The result of which was that he had to fill his head with knowledge from one of those dang Ancient head-suckers -_again_- in order to find a way to fend off the attack.

Sure, they did find a massive weapon in Antartica that blew Anubis's goons out of the sky, as well as the gate address for the lost city of Atlantis in the Pegasus gallery. But Jack had ended up spending a couple of months as a popsicle, until Thor was able to get his little gray butt over to this side of the galaxy and remove all that stuff from his head and take him out of cryofreeze.

The upside of it all was that he did get a nice promotion out of it all.

Which he didn't really want – except for maybe the parking spot. That was definitely a perk.

Oh, and Kinsey had been fired – yeah, that part was pretty cool.

"Sir?"

Oh. Yeah. Carter.

Jack cleared his throat, and with both hands, pushed his chair away from his desk. The wheels didn't work all that well, and they squeaked. Damn Hammond for taking the good chair when he left.

"Good morning, Carter. How's Pete?"

The blonde team leader of SG1 rolled her eyes at her commanding officer. "He's fine. Sir – we really do have a situation."

Jack sighed and gave her a long suffering look and motioned with one hand for her to sit, as he used his feet to push the 'guest' chair out for her. Let it be known that Jack O'Neill was perfectly capable of being a gentleman.

Carter wrinkled her nose in a small show of disapproval, as she tried to find a clean, open spot on Jack's desk to place the folder. After a few moments of deliberation, she finally decided to move the untouched review folder out of the way. Mentally apologizing to – she glanced at the folder she had moved – Airman Miller, she placed her folder in the now open spot.

Hadn't Airman Miller been up for review several months ago?

She minutely shook her head and cleared her throat.

"These are images that were recently picked up by one of our telemetry satellites currently in orbit over the eastern hemisphere," she said, her voice controlled and professional.

Jack cracked his knuckles and looked at the folder on his desk. If he didn't open it, he could pretend it wasn't there, right?

"Sir?"

Perhaps not. His right hand approached the folder tentatively, as if it were covered in some deadly bio-agent, and quickly flipped it open.

Huh.

"Do you mind telling me what I'm looking at, Carter?" He asked with one eyebrow quirked. The picture in front of him didn't resemble anything so much as empty space.

"Sir… that was the image transmitted by the satellite four hours ago. Look at the next page."

Jack obediently turned the next page. Ah, now that was something he recognized, but what the hell was it doing here?

"That was what the satellite transmitted about a half hour ago, and this one "Carter leaned over his desk and flipped the page once more –"was the last image transmitted ten minutes ago.

Jack rubbed his chin thoughtfully as he spread out all three images in front of him, moving several SG mission reports out of the way to do so. The first and the third were identical, but the second –

The second was an Asgard ship.

Huh.

"Sir, we have been able to contact Thor, and he did not have knowledge of any Asgard ships in our solar system."

Suddenly Jack was beginning to get a headache.

"Well, this," he said, indicating with his fingers the second picture, "is definitely an Asgard vessel."

"Yes, Sir, I agree. What's more, based on my interactions with the Asgard, I am led to believe that it is a scientific vessel."

Jack groaned.

"You see, the thing is, I think there must have been a momentary malfunction with the ship's cloaking system, or we would have never picked it up at all. And now that its systems are back online, we have no way of finding it."

Jack banged his head on his desk several times. There was only one Asgard he could think of who would be in Earth's orbit without Thor's knowledge – in an Asgard scientific vessel.

And that was a bad thing.

"Carter, get Thor back on the communicator thingy he gave us and tell him to get his a—"

He didn't even finish his sentence before he was enveloped in a bright light.

"Greetings, O'Neill. I'm afraid that we have a situation."

Jack looked at the Asgard High Commander Thor whose ship he was now on, and swore under his breath.

"I knew I should have gone fishing."

* * *

Keiko waited until she felt composed enough to face Kurama again before exiting the bathroom. He was there, of course, leaning against the door facing, waiting on her with a great deal of concern in his eyes. Keiko immediately felt bad for making him worry, but she simply hadn't been able to handle being as close to him as she had been earlier, not to mention the way he'd spoken and looked at her. The sultry voice and deep, penetrating gaze, both directed at her had thrown her for a loop.

It had all been very surreal.

And now he stood there, acting as if nothing had happened at all and she was once again feeling confused and unsure. Had Yusuke been mistaken in thinking that Kurama was interested in her? Had she been a fool to come here with the intent of confessing her own feelings? Had all that had transpired earlier in the kitchen been some sort of vivid daydream on her part?

"Keiko?" Kurama's voice stirred Keiko from her inner debate and she turned to look at him warily. "You stayed in the bathroom a considerable amount of time. Are you certain that you are not ill?"

Keiko shook her head instantly. "I'm fine, Kurama. I already told you." Silence followed her assurance and Keiko, not being able to stand it, headed back into the kitchen area and retook her seat at the table. Her cup of tea still sat there, forgotten, and had now grown cold. Kurama took his time as he came in behind her. Should he apologize for his earlier behavior? He did not know, but the way she shifted uncomfortably in her chair as if she did not even want to be in the same room with him now, was causing an ache in his chest.

Kurama laid a tentative hand on her shoulder, and she turned her large, startled brown eyes in his direction. His green eyes softened into a look of concern, and he was on the verge of asking her once more what was wrong when there was a knock on his front door. Sighing in exasperation, the red head excused himself from the kitchen, an act that was met by only an awkward nod from Keiko, and retreated to the door to see who his visitor was. He blinked in surprise when he saw Yusuke, Kuwabara and Hiei all standing on his doorstep.

Yusuke pushed himself past Kurama as was normal, while Kuwabara and Hiei patiently waited for him to acknowledge them.

"Come on in, Hiei, Kuwabara… Yusuke," Kurama said, somewhat tiredly. "What brings you here?"

The dark haired Reikai Tentai leader smirked at the red head, as he caught sight of a familiar light blue jacket hung on Kurama's coat rack.

"Got company, Kurama?" He asked with a smirk. Sure, they had a demon to find and kill, but he couldn't help put in a bit of teasing with his friend and teammate. After all, Kurama owed him one.

Kurama cleared his throat, "Actually, yes, Keiko stopped by for a visit. She is in the kitchen as we speak."

_'Damn,_' Yusuke thought to himself with a sigh when Kurama didn't take the bait. He was no fun. Not once in the past four years had he been able to unnerve him. _'Well, business it is…' _

"Well, I hate to interrupt you two and all, but we really have… er… a 'situation'."

"Yes, of course." Kurama replied, "But first, Keiko-"

"Was just leaving." Keiko's voice drew everyone's attention to her as she stood in the doorway leading to the kitchen. She walked over to where Kurama stood by the coat rack and reached for her jacket, doing her best to ignore the knowing look Yusuke was sending her way. "I'd better go. You have an assignment and I have finals to study for so... I guess I'll see you later." Without looking anyone in the eye, Keiko made a quick get away, not giving Kurama a chance to say goodbye.

Kurama's eyes followed her movements somewhat longingly; a look that did not go unnoticed by either the smug Yusuke or Hiei. Not for one moment did his eyes leave the retreating back of Keiko as she walked away down the sidewalk. Only once she had rounded the corner and was out of sight, did he turn his full attention back on the other three.

"Alright, Yusuke. Tell me, what is this 'situation' you speak of?" he asked.

"Whaddya doin' looking at Urameshi's girl like that, Kurama?" Kuwabara questioned with accusing eyes, cutting off Yusuke's response to Kurama's question.

Yusuke groaned.

"Shaddup, Kuwabara, Keiko ain't my girl anymore, so Kurama can look at her however he wants." The dark haired toushin shot a long suffering look at his friend. He and Keiko had been broken up now for what - four months? Leave it to his best friend to forget something like that.

Yusuke shook his head and continued.

"There are a couple of B class demons that have managed to break through the barrier and are now wrecking havoc over at the new Starbucks. Being that it is in such a populated area, we need to kick their asses as soon as possible. Plan is that you and I take out the demons, Kuwabara rescues the hostages, and Hiei alters their memories and discourages anyone in the vicinity from entering. Ya up for it? Cuz we kinda gotta go…"

Kurama responded with a wordless nod and reached to grab his own jacket from the rack. His bright green eyes showed determination, now that he was focusing on their objective.

"Let's go."

* * *

The ship's computer automatically woke Loki from his regenerative stasis once there was an indication of another Asgard vessel in orbit over the Tau'ri planet. This was not good news. The other vessel should not have been able to detect him with his cloaking system engaged – still, he did not wish to take any chances, considering he was not on good terms with the Asgard High Council at the moment.

His newest acquisition was a great discovery for the Asgard on two fronts. Not only did the hybrid provide concrete proof of the continued existence of the Furlings, Loki was convinced that if the hybrid was capable of handling both the consciousness of a Tau'ri as well as a Furling, a clone of such a creature should be able to handle the massive consciousness of an Asgard. Therefore, Loki was not ready to be discovered by the Asgard or SG1 for that matter, nor was he ready to return his subject to the Tau'ri homeworld.

His only option would be to take the ship out of orbit for the time being, and put it into hyperdrive. He processed that command to the ship's computer, and put himself back into the regenerative stasis with additional instructions to wake him should anything happen.

Kurama could sense Youko's smugness as he gloated over his ingenious plan to take out the ship's cloaking device. Personally, the human half thought he was overdoing it a bit. All he had done after all was spill his drink on what Kurama assumed was the control panel a lit up board with opal like rocks positioned on it. Youko scoffed when his human half relayed his opinion.

**_Really, Shuichi, I doubt you would have thought of such a thing. You have been too preoccupied with that carbon copy of Keiko to think straight._** Youko stated, a bit miffed that his brilliant idea had been downgraded a bit.

The Keiko clone by his side was studying him intently. As of yet he had not offered her any information that could be of any use to Loki. But he was pleasant so far, and not hostile, although he had been a tad bit clumsy in the control room. For a minute there she feared that he may have upset the cloaking system by spilling water all over the control panel. Thankfully, everything was now okay – she made sure of it before they left the control room. Now they were on an observation deck, staring out at the Tau'ri's homeworld.

"So, what can you tell me about " She started to ask when there was a sudden lurch of the ship, causing her to stumble and cut off her question mid sentence. The next thing that she knew, the outside view of the Tau'ri homeworld was replaced with streaks of light that represented the stars and planets as they passed them. The ship had entered hyperspace.

She noticed with some concern that Kurama looked a little green.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm… fine." Kurama managed to say as he struggled to maintain his composure. He was feeling quite ill actually, by both the sudden motion of the ship and the sight of Earth abruptly disappearing from sight. "Would you mind telling me what's going on?" He asked warily. "Why is the ship moving?"

"The hyperspace drive has been activated," she answered calmly, as if she was mentioning the weather or the time of day. "As to why? I'm not really sure, to tell you the truth. I suppose I could see if there is any information in the ship's logs, I guess, it is a bit confusing. I was under the impression that we were going to stay in orbit around the Tau'ri planet until he was done with you."

The Keiko clone put her hand on her chin as if considering something, and then abruptly turned to him once again with wide eyes.

"Oh! I bet there was an enemy ship in the vicinity!"

Kurama groaned inwardly at this news. _Was this a part of your 'brilliant plan' Youko?' _He asked the kitsune spirit who suddenly began to seethe.

**_Shut up, Shuichi! _**

Honestly, if the situation hadn't been so dour, Kurama would have felt like smirking. But as it was, there was really cause for distress as with every passing second the ship he was currently on was carrying him further and further away from his home. He turned back to the clone.

"Perhaps, but why don't you go and check the computer just to make sure, hmm?" He urged.

She nodded and led him to the nearest access console. A holoview displayed some information in a language that Kurama could not read, but he definitely understood the significance of the hologram of the large space ship the holoview also displayed.

"Well, the good news is that it was not an enemy ship. So you don't have to worry about the Tau'ri planet being attacked again, or anything. But the bad news is that it seems we were detected somehow, and now the Asgard High Commander is looking for us – probably along with SG1. Oh, this is very, very bad. Can't you just tell me what happened to all the Furlings? That way, maybe I can convince Loki to take us back and drop you off. "

The mention of Earth being attacked again caught Kurama off guard. When had the planet been attacked in the first place? And what was an SG1 and why would they be after Loki's ship? Questions were beginning to pile up, but everything that Youko had told him earlier about the legends the kitsune had heard in the Makai about these "Furlings" made him reluctant to give forth the information Keiko sought. In the end, Kurama only shook his head. "I am sorry, but I cannot tell you." He said.

The Keiko clone folded her arms and regarded him somewhat sadly.

"Well, that is unfortunate, Kurama-san. I really don't see you getting out of here until you do."

Kurama closed his eyes, dismayed at her response, but he really hadn't expected anything else. With a sigh, he reopened his eyes, his gaze returning to the view port and the emptiness of space beyond.

* * *

Keiko walked passed the houses and small shops that made up Kurama's street, without really knowing where she was headed. She was so… confused for lack of a better word. Did he or did he not like her? Or was his seductive behavior only about – she gulped – sex?

Suddenly she felt pretty pissed off.

_'I bet that was all he wanted, too. He doesn't care for me the same way I care for him. He had a bad day – which he wouldn't even talk to me about and I just happened to be there. All he wanted was a little something from me to take the edge off. That bastard!'_

The thoughts rolling around in her head were definitely not pleasant as she continued to silently question Kurama's motives, and she needed something –anything to calm her down.

As she rounded the corner, she noticed the brand new foreign coffeehouse. _'When did that go in there? It must have popped up almost overnight!' _She mentally observed, as she quirked one eyebrow in surprise.

Keiko studied the brand new Starbucks with an air of detached bemusement.

_'Maybe I should go in and get a latte,'_ she thought. Certainly a delicious, frothy, caramel latte would definitely hit the spot, and as long as she was thinking about the heavenly beverage warming her belly, than she wasn't thinking about Kurama.

No. She was _not_ thinking about Kurama.

That bastard.

No, definitely not thinking about Kurama. Thinking about a grande caramel latte.

With her head held high and with a purpose, Keiko walked over to the Starbucks and entered through the front door –

and was immediately grabbed by a blue demon with three horns.

The upside of the situation - if there was an upside - was that she was no longer thinking about Kurama.

Now she was thinking about Yusuke, whom she was sure was the reason behind why she was suddenly being held hostage.

By a demon.

Again.

_'That bastard.'_

* * *

Kurama followed behind the other three, hands tucked away into his pants pockets as his mind returned to the little scene that had played out in his kitchen just a few short moments ago. Keiko had seemed so flustered and confused, and had almost run over him in her haste to get away, when Yusuke and the others showed up.

The red head was so lost in his musings that he failed to notice the hidden looks that Hiei was shooting in his direction. The fire demon knew that the kitsune was distracted, a very dangerous thing for him to be at this point. They were heading into a situation that would inevitably lead to a fight and he did not want the fox hurt.

_Hn. Watch yourself, fox. The rest of us are almost there – Kami knows where you are._ The fire demon prodded mentally. Under the joking sarcasm was a very real hint of concern.

_'I am here with you, Hiei. You need not worry on my account.'_ The red head attempted to make his assurance in a joking manner.

The fire demon just quirked an eyebrow at this, but did not respond. He didn't have time to. For as soon as they turned the corner at the end of Kurama's street, they were in front of the coffeehouse.

"When did that go in?" Kurama mused aloud, earning himself a strange look from Yusuke.

"Dude – you're the one that lives here," the detective responded, as he started to crack his knuckles in anticipation of the fight.

Hiei jumped immediately in front of the building, and took off his bandana. The result was almost instantaneous. Other than their own group, no one on the street was even looking in the direction of the coffeehouse anymore. In fact, several people even turned away, as if they suddenly remembered they had something more important to do.

Kuwabara and Yusuke flanked Kurama, as the three of them prepared to enter.

"Now, you guys know what ya gotta do, right? Kuwabara, you get the customers out of there. Kurama, your with me. Ready?"

Kurama nodded, following Yusuke into the coffeehouse, his hand instinctively going up to his hair and with a sweeping motion withdrew the rose hidden there. He held the small flora before him in preparation to transform it when it came time to do battle.

Inside the coffeehouse, the scene was utter chaos. One employee – apparently the manager was dead behind the counter, having been viciously eviscerated. The remaining employees and customers had all been herded against one wall like cattle, and were shivering in utter terror.

The blue haired demons were both about seven feet tall, and each one had a large horn protruding from the center of their forehead. Their arms were almost obscenely large and muscular in proportion to the rest of their bodies, and terminated in large hands tipped with deadly sharp claws. They turned to snarl at the newcomers, baring large pointed fangs in the process.

Both demons were heavily armed. The demon on the right was wielding two kodachis, and had a weapon that looked like a mace strapped to his side. The other demon was wielding a katana with one hand, while his other hand –

Kurama felt his blood begin to burn.

His other hand was wrapped around a whimpering Keiko.

"Oh, shit!"

Yusuke's muttered curse was heard only vaguely as Kurama felt the beginnings of a murderous rage building up inside of him. He knew it was unwise to go charging in, however, the simple sight of Keiko in that hideous creature's clutches pissed him off royally.

With a loud cry and more emotion than he had ever shown before in a fight, he rushed forward to attack the demon who had a strangle hold on his would-be girlfriend.

"Rose Whip!" he shouted out, as he held the rose tightly in his hand. He was so hell bent on utterly decimating the lower class demon who would _dare_ to lay a hand on what was _his_, that he did not even bother to glance at his hand to make sure that the transformation of the rose into his signature weapon was successful.

"OH _SHIT_!" Came Yusuke's cry from the side. Yusuke, who had been successfully dodging the attacks of the other demon while landing several heavy blows of his own, had briefly glanced in Kurama's direction and was thunderstruck by what he saw.

Kurama was launching himself headfirst towards a demon holding not only Keiko, but a very sharp katana, with his… rose?

It briefly registered that for some reason, Kurama's whip didn't work, and that his red haired friend was going to be very dead very quickly if he didn't do something.

"Shit. SHIT! KURAMA YOU BAKA – _GET OUTTA MY WAY_!" He shouted, as he indicated to Kuwabara who had been leading some of the customers towards the door – to take over the fight with the demon he had been beating into a bloody pulp.

The blue demon was looming closer, and in some small part of Kurama's mind, the fact that he did not appear to be concerned at all started to register. What's more, the demon looked almost… _amused_ as he came rushing towards him with his…

Oh.

_Oh Shit._

He vaguely heard Yusuke's shout, as he feinted at the last moment to the right. A step further would have had him impaled upon the demon's blade. As he fell to the ground and faltered, he could barely even _look_ at Keiko, who was watching him with a mixture of horror and concern. He had failed, he had utterly and completely failed and now the one he… loved was going to die and it was all his fault and –

_"SPIRIT GUN"_

Yusuke had nodded towards Keiko before even launching the shot and his ex-girlfriend knew him well enough to know what was coming. As soon as he raised his hands, she managed to distract the demon by stomping on one of its large, hairy feet, and then she twisted out of its grasp leaving Yusuke a clear target for his Spirit Gun.

The resulting shot had thrown the demon back about ten feet and had totally decimated the espresso maker behind the counter.

When the very real smoke cleared, and both demons were out for the count, Yusuke walked over to the demoralized Kurama.

"Kurama – what the _fuck_ just happened?"

* * *

_End Chapter 3_


End file.
